Welcome to my regular Friday song/tune day, ladies and gentlemen, where I pick a piece of music that reflects my mood or the times, to share with you.

Photo by Yan Krukov on Pexels.com

Like many cities, Canberra’s daily Covid case numbers continue at high levels. Across Australia, many more have died in these last six months than the previous two years combined. For thousands of others, long Covid has left its mark and some have died prematurely due to the mental and physical damage that a Covid infection caused. Most people want to carry on as best they can but it is hard, exhausting work. They can do no more but they can’t do enough either to meet the huge ongoing need for, well, everything. There are often two or three courier vans servicing our street at any given time. In other jurisdictions of Australia, essential workers are striking for better pay and conditions. Their workload is not sustainable.

Meanwhile, my youngest son hasn’t been able to crack a job yet. He is in a difficult position where he gave up an exploitative job that underpaid him, so that he could concentrate on finishing his studies. [I did offer to picket the bakery but my son didn’t think that would be such a good idea.] Unfortunately, he doesn’t yet have any work experience in his profession of choice, so winning a job is proving tricky. Further afield, other employers seem unwilling to hire him because they think he might soon leave them for greener pastures. I am confident that my son will get a job eventually. However, that will have to wait because, right now, he has Covid after I sent him out to buy a decent shirt so that he would look prettier at his next interview. Thankfully, although he is quite unwell, he seems to be doing okay. In other positive news, the rest of us in the family have not succumbed to the virus. Not yet, anyway. I’m a bit wary about going into the shared bathroom and had a shower yesterday with my mask on.

But enough of my musings, it is time for a song. Today I’ve chosen an Aussie classic, Chained To The Wheel, performed by The Black Sorrows. The song was written by lead singer, Joe Camilleri, together with Nick Smith. Can you believe John Denver did a cover of this hit? Anyway, here is the original. I hope you enjoy it.

Take care, everyone. Work hard, stay as well as you can, and make ’em pay.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

31 thoughts on “Damn Hard Work”

    1. It is time for him to re-join the real world, Liz, so I guess it could not be avoided given he had face to face interviews, and hence needed to dress appropriately for them. I might have suggested a more protective mask but he had his own ideas.

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  2. The job search issues your son is having are real old school – you need more experience…how to get ? get a job…get job? Yeah you need more experience.
    That then is followed by, “well we’re afraid that you’ll leave us ASAP you find something in your field.
    This is such a tired old routine that it was ancient when I was young, and as you know that was when Tiberius was emperor. Later on it gets followed by, “you have too much experience for the job, and we’re afraid that you will : a.) be bored; b.) be resentful of your boss who din’t have enough experience for the job but is my nephew; or c.) leave as soon as a better job comes along.
    This really idiotic nonsense.

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  3. Stay strong and healthy Tracy. Your son will get better and he will find a job. It’s difficult to get started. but after that first job, he will progress. I hope you and your TL do not get Covid.

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    1. Thanks, Anne. My son seems a bit better today. He’ll be so pleased to get out of his room next week. The rest of us are stewing in our masks. Very unpleasant but not as unpleasant as getting Covid. Went for a nice walk today and got some fresh air.

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  4. I’m so sorry your son got Covid, Tracy. I’d have picketed that bakery with you: Give him his dough!! 😉 I agree with what Lou said. It is a ridiculous circle trying to get a job. I do hope something comes along for him. I’ll bet if he said he would work for free just to get the experience, they’d hire him in a heartbeat. Lousy idea. Don’t even mention that one to him. Fingers crossed you all stay well.

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    1. Lois, I’ve suggested he do some voluntary work for one of the numerous charities, but he was totally ripped off in the previous job (working in a small business) so working for “experience” doesn’t really appeal to him. He might change his mind about that at some point. I think it is good to help out in the not-for-profit sector and now that he has almost had Covid, he doesn’t have to worry about bringing it home to us.
      We are doing all that we can to stay clear, Lois, but it is not easy in this little house. My friend’s son has Covid too. She is also high risk and they are living in the house with all the windows open. Unfortunately it is freezing and raining here. It has barely reached a max of about 8c degrees (45F) here during the day for the last few weeks and is much colder with the wind chill factor. Really unpleasant.

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  5. Not good about the boy child Tracy. The number of jobs in the environment field are so scarce. A very good friend of mine did volunteering work with nest boxes. They found out how good he was and his knowledge and had gradually been given paid part time work. Not great but it’s a start. Taken around 3 years though.
    Love The Black Sorrows 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Brian. Wrong child though. My eldest has a job as an ecologist. He had a good referee so that helped. Good on your friend for working hard to get a toe in the door. My youngest is more techie but he did much of his course online due to Covid so there was not the same opportunity to get that mentoring support from teachers. He would just as soon mow that native grass growing in the front lawn!

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  6. Wishing your son a quick and complete recovery and hoping he’ll be successful in the job search soon! As for you, Tracy, please keep taking every precaution to prevent you from catching the virus.

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    1. Thanks, Dries. My son seems to be getting better today. He doesn’t sound as croaky or snotty.
      Fingers crossed one of the jobs for which he recently applied will be the one.
      I am taking every precaution, Dries. Coincidentally, I had another booster shot on the day that my son’s test results came through. That probably won’t help me at this point, so we are all masking up inside. The masks are so fusty (not sure if that is a real word) when you have to wear them all day and night. Some people have been wearing them all day, every day for two years now so I really can’t complain.

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  7. I’m so sorry about your son contracting covid and to compound that…having trouble finding work. Wishing him a speedy recovery and that everyone else remains healthy!

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      1. It doesn’t help when you can’t open the windows. I hope he bounces back quickly. My 94 year old father in law ended up in the hospital with covid two weeks ago and he was released 3 days later and seems to be recovering well. I think being vaccinated helps.

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  9. Difficult times in this unusually cold June. I wish your son well and you- make sure you stay well too. Hopefully your TL is on the mend.

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    1. Thanks, Jane. I wish the mask requirements were a little stricter. My TL is convinced that there are many people who know they have Covid out and about in the community maskless. He has come down with Covid. I really feel for him. He has had a terrible six months. I am waiting on the results of my PCR test that I had today.

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      1. Oh no. That’s such bad luck. I agree about people going around with covid. I do hope TL can get on top of it quickly. Sending warm thoughts.

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  10. I’m so sorry about your son, and hope he heals quickly and fully. And I’m sorry about the job situation too….that was the case in our area about ten years ago. My college- age son applied for a summer job being the person who took tickets at the movie theater. There were 130 other applicants, and he didn’t get it. It can be so frustrating! And it’s weird, because now in the States there are “help wanted” signs everywhere, and no one can get enough staff. It seems these things go in cycles.

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    1. Thank you for the sympathy, Ann. My son is doing well. If he returns a clear test, he will be out of bedroom quarantine on Thursday and back in the hunt for a job. He says he is not feeling tired so touchwood, he does not experience any lasting effects. My husband has unfortunately caught the virus. He is quarantining in our bedroom. I am sleeping on the couch in the lounge room. He seems to be going okay too.

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